Psycho Stalker
by itsxloveeee
Summary: He’s watching us, Troy. He’s waiting to make his next move.” T&G. Rated M.
1. A Day of Work

**Psycho Stalker by itsxloveeee**

"**He's watching us, Troy. He's waiting to make his next move." T&G. Rated M.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from High School Musical.**

**--**

As the sunlight poured through the window of a small apartment in the city of Los Angeles, a young brunette stirred from a peaceful slumber. Her eyes opened, only to be met by a pair of cerulean orbs. Her lips and the lips of the man next to her met in a soft kiss, and when the two parted unwillingly, an identical smile toyed on both of their faces.

"Good morning beautiful," He whispered huskily, while removing a strand of hair from her face, gently.

"Morning," She moaned, still sleepy from the night before.

He chuckled quietly, knowing why his loving, yet erotic girlfriend was so tired. "Did I wear you out that much last night?"

She nodded drowsily and allowed her eyes to close. The man admired his girlfriend's beauty…her bronze skin, ebony curls, and petite figure. The sight of her made him yearn for a repeat of the night before; he could even feel the tent forming in his boxers. Not only her appearance, but also her personality…smart, kind, gentle, graceful, sensitive, and naïve made him desire her, made him love her. In his mind, she is so much more than what words can describe. She is just, Brie…his Brie.

_Troy Bolton_, she thought, _my Troy Bolton_. The one with the beautiful light blue eyes, toned body, and an award-winning smile. He is smart, funny, generous, kind, caring, sensitive, sweet, and so much more. Even with her eyes closed, Gabriella could tell Troy was watching her lay there, breathing.

She was about to open her eyes, when an obnoxious beeping noise rang loudly through their bedroom. A groan came from each of their throats at the thought of having to get up and go to work.

Gabriella, at the age of 23, is working as the assistant to the editor of Haute Couture, a high-end fashion magazine where they feature one of a kind pieces all over the world. The magazine also gives tips on how to make outfits look one of a kind. Gabriella is hoping to become a designer for the magazine in the future. Where as Troy, at the age of 23, is working his ass off writing for the Los Angeles Times as a reporter and working on his first novel. Back in college, Troy collapsed on the basketball court and was rushed to the hospital, only to learn that he has a possibly fatal heart condition called HCM. That was when he promised Gabriella he would stop playing basketball and take up his second dream, being a writer. (I got the idea from One Tree Hill with Lucas's condition)

Both of them are heading towards their dreams, and doing them together. Even though they are not close to any of their friends or family from Albuquerque, the two have their new friends in the city, along with old college friends.

--

Troy slid his laptop into his briefcase as Gabriella placed the rest of her paperwork into a glittery pink folder. She looked up at him and smiled when he took a sip of the coffee in his hand.

She asked, "So Mr. Bolton, is there anything exciting going on in the office today? Any hot interns I should be worried about."

He chuckled, "Only if a certain brunette switches her profession and comes to work at the Times." After taking the last sip of his coffee, he placed the mug on the counter next to the sink and grabbed his briefcase to leave.

She noticed his departure, so she quickly hurried over to him and placed a light kiss on his lips. When the two lips parted, she whispered, "Knock 'em dead baby."

Troy smiled and whispered back, "You too. I love you."

"I love you too."

They stood in each other's embrace for a few more seconds before they left their apartment and drove off to a busy day of work.

--

Troy was finishing the last of his article on the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, when a flirty, and sexy intern sat on his desk.

"Hi Troy," The girl whispered seductively, "The third floor closet is free for us, to get it on."

Troy surveyed the blonde female sitting in front of him. She has chocolate brown eyes and tanned skin, with a smile that any guy would fall for. Her petite frame curves in the right places and her long legs appear to be smooth. Her large breasts perch out of the top of her shirt, not too much, but enough to tease a man. Another word for a person like her is a horny intern looking to get in the pants of anyone that has somewhat decent looks.

All Troy could think of was, "What's your name?"

"My name?" She giggled flirtatiously. After he nodded, she continued, "My name is Sharpay Evans. Oh and by the way…I'm not an intern, I write and edit for the entertainment section of the newspaper. I started last week."

Evans was the only thing on Troy's mind…he knows someone with the last name Evans, but who is it? He decided to ask.

"Do you know anyone else in the town with your last name?" After the words left his mouth, he knew how stupid they sounded. Like really, Evans is such a common name, it could be anyone.

The blonde simply shrugged, "I have a twin that works as a designer for Haute Couture."

'_That's him!' _Troy thought, _'That is the guy that Gabriella talks about from the office.'_

Silence surrounded them in the small cubicle, when Sharpay asked, "Do you know him?"

Troy shook his head, "Not personally, but my girlfriend works with him at the magazine."

She pouted. He has a fucking girlfriend. _'Wait', _she thought_, 'When has that stopped me before?' _

"Well, enough of 20 questions and let's get down to business. Do you want to have sex or not?" Sharpay's blunt question shocked Troy, causing him to stumble over his words, "Uh…you kn—know, I-I c-can't-t…"

She cut him off mid sentence, thinking that he was just nervous that she would tell his girlfriend, "Don't worry, I won't say a thing. Besides, I am so fucking wet for you." The seductive purr in her voice almost made Troy go wild, but then he remembered Gabriella and came back to Earth.

Before he could move away, Sharpay brought his hand to her opening to let him feel her and how wet she was, but as soon as his hand met her flesh, he pulled his hand away instantly.

"Just go away Sharpay. I have to get home to my _girlfriend_." He stressed the word girlfriend, hoping for her to get the picture. It worked because she sighed and walked off to another cubicle, still trying to get sex. All Troy thought of her was a horny new employee he would not be mixing with.

--

Gabriella sat at her desk, typing furiously on the keyboard in front of her when someone laughed, "What are you trying to do? Kill it?"

She turned around in her chair to see a man with blonde hair and brown eyes. She immediately recognized him as Ryan Evans, the gay designer.

Gabriella smiled tiredly, "No, I just want to get this over with so I can go home and see my boyfriend."

Ryan decided to pull up a chair and survey the work she was doing on her computer. He offered, "This looks simple enough. Send it to me through our work email and I will finish it for you tonight. Besides, the last thing I want to do is go home to my bitchy sister."

She giggled and thanked him, "Well thank you very much for your help. Is there anyway I can repay you?"

After thinking for a few seconds in complete silence, he said, "You could bring your boyfriend over for dinner sometime. It would be me, you, my sister, and…"

Gabriella understood that he didn't know her boyfriend's name, so she finished for him, "It's Troy."

"Well, bring him over and we will have a great time! I will send you my address tomorrow and then we can plan a day."

"It's a date," she confirmed.

He nodded and bid her goodbye. As he was walking away, he asked, "Do you mind if I bring my boyfriend?"

Gabriella smiled sweetly and shook her head, "Not at all. As long as you don't hit on mine."

The two laughed and sealed the deal. After Ryan was out of sight, Gabriella sent him the paperwork and gathered all of her belongings to head home.

--

On her way home, she decided to stop at Starbucks and get a cup of black coffee. While she was waiting in line, a masculine voice called her name, "Gabriella Montez?"

She turned around to see a tall man with broad shoulders and a very muscular figure. He has brown eyes, brown hair, and tanned skin.

She had no idea who this man was, so she turned around, thinking she was just hearing things. Her name was called again, "Gabriella Montez?"

She turned around once more, and the man waved at her, so she motioned him over. When he reached her she asked immediately, "Do I know you? Or do you know me?"

His deep laugh filled the room, "No and kind of. I am your cousin."

"What?" she asked, completely confused because her mom had only one sister that died before having any children.

He repeated, thinking she was somewhat stupid, "I am your cousin."

Bewildered, she stepped out of line and he followed. She then asked, "How?"

"Let's take a seat so I can explain."

She agreed and they sat at a nearby table. Then, he explained, "My mother died when I was born from childbirth and after that, I was sent off to an orphanage. No one knew about me, so you would have never heard of me. I recently found my father and he told me about my mother. I then sent out looking for another living blood relative, which is you."

Surprised, she thought over everything he just said. It was true, only her and her mother was left remaining for his blood relatives on this side of the family and if he lives in LA, she would be easier to reach.

"Well," Gabriella began, "This is kind of a shock…but I'm…glad to meet you." She wasn't sure about this guy just yet, but she figured if she got to know him, they would be good friends.

"I am _very _glad to meet you too." The way he stressed the word very scared Gabriella a bit, but she thought that if he never met any of his relatives, it would be nice to meet one of them.

After a long pause of silence between the two, Gabriella stood up, "I better head home. It's getting late."

He looked over at the clock on the wall and nodded in agreement. The man said, "You never asked my name…it is Sean Collins."

"It really is nice to meet you. If you would like, you could come for dinner sometime and meet my boyfriend."

At the word boyfriend, he tensed up, but that went unnoticed by Gabriella. While he calmed down, she wrote her number and address on a piece of paper.

"Stop by or call sometime. I would like to get to know you better." She said after handing him the piece of paper. Sean simply nodded and watched her walk off into the distance.

When she exited the building and looked back to see him staring at her, she thought it was a little creepy. After deciding to push that out of her mind, she got in her car and drove home to her loving boyfriend.

**Review please!!! What I plan on doing is writing the first four chapters of this story, and then everyone can vote on the order of which you want me to write my three on going stories. There will be a poll and a chapter in each story for voting!!**


	2. From Pleasure to Grief

**Psycho Stalker by itsxloveeee**

"**He's watching us, Troy. He's waiting to make his next move." T&G. Rated M.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from High School Musical or Cyndi Lauper lyrics.**

**--**

Gabriella Montez got out of her car quickly after gathering her things in a black leather briefcase. With the briefcase in one hand and her keys and purse in the other, she locked her car.

The parking garage was deserted…not a person in sight. A light in the background was flickering on and off. You could hear water trickling from the ceiling and down the wall. The atmosphere was like a scary movie. A good word for it is eerie.

Having the feeling of being stalked, Gabriella ran into the elevator and pressed the button to close the door about 20 times. Once the door closed tightly, she slammed her fist on the number 23. The anxiety from the atmosphere in the garage was impacting her ability to relax. As soon as the elevator began to move, she leaned her back against the wall and sighed a breath of relief.

Ding! Floor 23.

The doors opened slowly, and once the doors were opened big enough for her to fit through, she scurried out of the elevator and off to her apartment. The hallway gave her the same eerie feeling as the parking garage. Chills shot through her spine and traveled to the rest of her body as she made her way to the apartment door. She turned the knob, only to find out that it is locked, which is odd. Mainly because Troy always arrived home first and left the door opened for her.

She began to search for the key on the ring when a door opened across the hallway. Her head shot up to see her neighbor walk out of his apartment. Gabriella let out another sigh of relief and waved to the man, you can call him Larry.

She located the silver key on the ring and slid it through the lock to open the door. Once the door unlocked, she rushed into the apartment, closed the door, and locked it behind her.

When she turned around and surveyed the penthouse, she noticed all of the lights on and Troy was sleeping peacefully on the couch with his shirt off. She smiled at the sight. After placing her briefcase, keys, and purse on the counter gently, she walked into the kitchen to begin making dinner.

--

Troy's eyes woke up to the smell of spaghetti filling the penthouse apartment. He noticed Gabriella's things on the table next to the door, and knew automatically that she was home. He got off of the couch and walked groggily over to the kitchen. He stopped at the door to listen to Gabriella singing to herself:

'_But I see your true colors_

_Shining through_

_I see your true colors_

_And that's why I love you_

_So don't be afraid to let them show_

_Your true colors_

_True colors are beautiful,_

_Like a rainbow'_

He walked over to her and wrapped his arms gently, yet securely around her petite waist. She jumped a little from the surprise, but eased herself into his chest. The two lovers stood there, just enjoying the silence until Troy whispered huskily into her ear, "Your voice is beautiful baby."

She smiled softly at the comment and gently whispered back, "Thank you."

"Sing for me," He commanded. A rosy color formed on her cheeks as she continued the song for him:

'_Show me a smile then,_

_Don't be unhappy, can't remember_

_When I last saw you laughing_

_If this world makes you crazy_

_And you've taken all you can bear_

_You call me up_

_Because you know I'll be there'_

She turned around in his arms and patted his chest gently; "You go shower mister so I can finish dinner." After placing a gently kiss on his left cheek, she turned around and continued to mix the sauce for the spaghetti.

He sighed, disappointed that she was making him leave. He pressed a soft kiss onto the right side of her neck, causing her to moan softly. He then offered, "How about I finish up some work while you finish that and then we can shower together."

She definitely liked, no loved that idea, so she agreed with it, but shooed him off to finish his work. He unwillingly agreed and walked off to his desk to work on the novel he is currently writing.

--

"Dinner is ready!" Gabriella yelled from the kitchen as she was placing the last piece of silverware on the table. Troy heard her summon and walked out of the office, through the living room, and into the kitchen to enjoy a meal with his girlfriend. He looked at the table to see two places set and a romantic glow from two lit candles.

A smile formed on his face as he walked over to take a seat next to Gabriella. He took a long sniff of the aroma in the room while taking a seat in his chair. "This looks delicious," he stated, looking at the food piled on the plate in front of him.

"Why thank you Mr. Bolton. Bon appétit!" She smiled cheekily at him and took her fork to begin eating the spaghetti on her plate. Troy followed suit after watching Gabriella eat her food for a few seconds. He still can't make sense of why Gabriella chose him over every single person she has ever met or may ever meet.

--

"I'm stuffed," Troy announced after taking the last bite of spaghetti on his plate. Gabriella giggled, mainly because he just finished his second serving, when she was done with hers about 10 minutes ago. She didn't mind though, she enjoyed talking to Troy. But, she was a little upset about what Ryan's sister, Sharpay, did to him in the office today. Right after hearing Troy's story, she decided to put it in the back of her mind and continue talking to the man she has loved for the past 7 years.

"Hey!" He argued, "I'm a growing man and I was really hungry!"

"Yeah, yeah," she said while gathering hers and Troy's plates to take to the sink. Troy got up and grabbed the bowl of spaghetti on the table and took it over to the refrigerator. As he was wrapping up the leftovers, he asked, "So, what do you want to do tonight?"

She giggled and placed a fork into the dishwasher. After turning around to face him, she replied, "Well, besides have a nice, sensual shower together, I was thinking we could watch a movie or something."

"Sounds like a good idea," Troy began while placing the last of the spaghetti into the container. He placed the leftovers into the refrigerator and finished, "As long as we can watch a scary one."

"I could go for some cuddling tonight. It's a date. But you go get our shower ready and I will be there in one minute."

He agreed, almost too quickly and ran off to the bathroom to turn on the hot water for the shower with Gabriella. You might think that he is a sex freak, I mean, what guy isn't, but a shower with Gabriella is more than a good fuck. It is one of the many ways he can caress her skin, hold her close, and make her feel like she is on the top of the world.

After feeling to make sure the water it is the right temperature, he pulled the knob out to turn on the water. Just as the water began to pour out of the showerhead, Gabriella entered the bathroom and began to strip down. Troy turned around to watch her, and began to get lost in her gorgeous body.

"You gonna join me or not, Wildcat?" She asked while entering the shower. He shook his head to snap out of his thoughts and quickly undressed to join her in the shower.

--

The two were lying on the bed, wrapped in each other's embrace after two more rounds of love making after their shower. Troy's phone began to ring loudly from the dresser, so he got off the bed, put on his boxers and headed over to answer his phone.

"Hello?" His husky voice filled the apartment and even when he was talking to someone else, Gabriella still fawns over his voice.

"Is this Troy Bolton?" Asked the mysterious woman on the other line.

He replied, a little confused, "Yes, who is this?"

"My name is Linda from Albuquerque Memorial Hospital. Your mother and father have been shot about 4 days ago and are in critical care. I'm sorry we couldn't tell you sooner, we just identified them."

The phone fell out of his hand, and he stopped breathing. After Gabriella wrapped a sheet around her body, she rushed over to him and asked, "What is wrong, baby?"

Without saying a word, he rushed over to his laptop and turned it on. "Hurry up!" He yelled at the computer while hitting the sides. Gabriella grew seriously concerned with Troy's actions and asked one more time, "What is wrong, Troy?"

He turned around in his seat and grey met brown. She could instantly tell something was wrong by the color of his eyes. "Troy, tell me."

He took a deep breath and said the words he never wanted to say, "My parents have been shot and they are in critical care." A single tear fell from his grey eyes and even Gabriella began to tear up. She loved Lucille and Jack, and it hurt her inside to know they were in serious condition and that their only son is torn up about it.

All she could ask was, "When?"

"4 days ago," Troy responded and then turned back to the computer to book two flights back to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

--

"Flight 1423 to Albuquerque, New Mexico will now be boarding first class passengers." Automatically, Troy and Gabriella stood up from their seats and handed the tickets to the lady at the desk. After the machine beeped, the two walked through the jet way and onto the airplane to take their seats next to each other. Since the two of them flew often and had a good amount of money, they were able to buy the only remaining tickets left, which were from first class.

The plane boarded noisily, but they sat in complete silence, not wanting to talk about what they might see or have to go through when they land in Albuquerque. Once the plane boarded and the pilot pushed back from the gate, Troy announced, "I never called anyone else."

"Oh," was the only reply Gabriella could muster up. After those few words were spoken, not another word was said as they flew to the place that brought them happy memories. Now, they will be filled with the bad memories of their hometown.

--

About an hour into the flight, Gabriella was sleeping and dreamt about the day her and Troy began dating.

_Flashback_

_"Troy! Where the hell are you taking me?!" A 16-year-old Gabriella yelled at her best friend of 10 years._

_Troy laughed and continued to guide his best friend and the girl he was in love with to their favorite park. Gabriella could hear children playing and mothers scolding their children for wandering off or doing something they weren't supposed to. She smiled at the scent of flowers, trees, and fresh cut grass._

_Troy simply answered, "You'll see."_

_He finished guiding her to their destination and when they came to a stop, he uncovered her eyes. She suddenly saw their favorite place in the park with a blanket and a picnic basket set up underneath their tree. She noticed a pizza box, probably Margarita pizza, her favorite. She gasped at the beauty of everything and rushed over to open the picnic basket…chocolate covered strawberries, cole slaw, and Dr. Pepper. All of her favorites. She smiled up at Troy and asked, "What is the occasion?"_

_He returned the smile and responded, "Can't a guy take his best friend on a picnic? But if you don't want to stay, I guess we can…"_

_She interrupted him, "No! I want to stay and be together and…" she blushed, noticing what she just said, and it didn't help her case when Troy chuckled at her. He knew that at the end of their picnic together, he was going to ask her the question he has wanted to ask her since the day he turned 13._

_The two ate, talked, joked, laughed, played, and more until the last strawberry remained in the bowl._

_Gabriella insisted, "You eat it."_

_"No you eat it." He argued back._

_"You eat it!"_

_"No you eat it!_

_"You eat it!"_

_"How about we share?" He suggested and took the strawberry out of the bowl. He then held it right outside of her mouth, so she took a bite out of the strawberry. A quiet, "Mmmm," came from her mouth as she chewed the juicy strawberry. He finished off the strawberry and placed the stem in the bowl. When they were done chewing, their eyes met and stayed locked for about 20 seconds, when Troy finally mustered up the courage to say, "Brie, we have been best friends for 10 years and I love the way how we can talk about anything. I love how everything is so simple between us. I love the way we can just lay on my bed in each other's arms and deal with our problems, but…"_

_'Oh no,' she thought, 'He doesn't want to be friends anymore!'_

_"…I want to be more than friends. Will you be my girlfriend?" He held his breath, nervous that she would decline his request. But when she nodded her head and said the three words he has been longing to hear, "I love you," the only thing he could do was let out a sigh of relief and say those three, well four words back, "I love you too."_

_End of Flashback_

**A lot of Troyella fluff in that chapter! But next one will be really dramatic and the storyline will really start to unfold.**


	3. Lucille

**Psycho Stalker by itsxloveeee**

"**He's watching us, Troy. He's waiting to make his next move." T&G. Rated M.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from High School Musical.**

**--**

Everything around them was deserted in the small airport of Albuquerque, New Mexico except for a little red plane landing on the only runway. The spring aroma filled the air around them, but not even the fresh smell lifted their spirits. After taking the last of their two medium sized bags from the outside carousel, the couple departed the airport and headed for the taxi that was waiting for them.

The taxi driver was standing outside of the vehicle. He appeared to be in his mid-late 30s with a short and plump figure. His skin was tanned and his black tee-shirt and ripped jeans looked to be unkempt. He possessed a buzz cut and a five o'clock shadow with some salsa on his cheek. The man flashed his yellow teeth at the couple and opened the trunk for their bags. After they set their bags down, he ushered them to get in the car. He placed the two bags into the trunk, closed it and rushed back to the driver's seat.

"So, off to the hospital, are we?" He asked, almost too happy in Troy's opinion. Gabriella could see the hurt in Troy's eyes so she answered for him, "Yes. We are."

The man could tell the tension and hurt in the backseat of the car, so he asked no more questions. Instead, he turned the radio on and Jason Derulo's "In My Head" came on. The driver even began to sing along, badly I might add, much to Gabriella and Troy's dismay. Normally, he would have asked the person to stop singing, but his terrible voice gave a slight distraction to Troy's thoughts about their future destination…Albuquerque Memorial Hospital.

Gabriella surveyed Troy and noticed his muscles tensed up, his eyes allowing a few tears to fall, and his feet tapping to the song rather impatiently. She placed her hand gently on his, in attempt to calm him down. His red, puffy eyes met her glistening eyes for a second, but then he looked away. In a matter of moments, he could lose his parents all because of a stupid person with a gun!

Gabriella began to process what would happen if they were to lose Jack and Lucille. The two of them were like parents to her, and now that their injuries were finally hitting her, tears began to fall quickly down her cheeks. Troy noticed this immediately, and even through his grief, Gabriella came first. He pulled her into his tight embrace and his hand caressed her arm softly. She turned her head into his chest and allowed the tears to fall and her cries to erupt throughout the car. To keep his mind distracted, Troy watched Gabriella. While he watched her sob, he noticed she was wearing his sweatshirt from Berkeley and an old pair of grey sweatpants. On her feet, she had black UGGs and her hair was tied up in a messy bun. Even though most people would say that she looked like a mess, Troy had to admit she looked beautiful…although he would have preferred a better situation and to not have the tears falling down her face.

The feeling of helplessness and vulnerability crept back up to Troy. Not only are his parents in critical condition, but the love of his life is sobbing uncontrollably in his arms. Normally, he was able to fix anything, but in this case, the only thing he could do was allow his tears to fall as well. The taxi driver in the front seat decided to just mind his own business and continue driving the two of them to the hospital.

--

After a few more minutes, they reached the hospital. Gabriella and Troy wiped their tears away quickly and got out of the car. The taxi driver grabbed their bags from the trunk and handed it to them.

"That will be ten dollars." Troy knew from experience that the driver was cutting the total cost, but he wanted to know why.

"Wait, isn't it 20?" He asked.

The stranger shook his head and said, "You are going through enough. You know what, the ride is on me."

"Are you sure?" Gabriella managed to get out, but the man still stuck with his offer, "It is my pleasure."

Troy shook his hand and the strangers went their separate ways…one to happiness and the other to hell. During the walk into the hospital, Gabriella thought about her previous crying in the cab, and decided that was not the thing to do at the time. Troy was feeling vulnerable and Jack and Lucille are his parents! She should be the one comforting him, not the opposite way around. So, when they took the first step into the hospital to be met with the cries of patients, the rushing around of doctors, and workers on the PA system, Gabriella told him, "I am here for you, no matter what happens here."

He allowed a small smile to form and he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear, "Thank you." The couple joined hands and continued through the jungle also known as the hospital. Finally, they made it to the waiting room and Gabriella took a seat so Troy could ask for his parent's room. She watched him walk slowly up to the counter and could barely hear the conversation between the young redhead nurse and her boyfriend.

The woman observed Troy seductively, because it was rare to have an amazingly sexy man in the ICU that was in one piece. The young nurse fawned over his simple white tee-shirt, ripped jeans, and old converse look…personally she thought he is the sexiest man she has ever seen. She asked, while leaning down on the counter to expose her breasts slightly, "How can I help you?"

Gabriella noticed the woman's obvious flirting, but decided to allow Troy to handle it on his own. She definitely did not want to seem like the jealous girlfriend at this time. They have a bigger problem on their hands at the moment.

He shook it off and said harshly, "Pull up your fucking shirt and tell me where Jack and Lucille Bolton are!"

Offended by the comment, but still persistent, she allowed her shirt to go down more, but scoffed, "Well aren't we feisty. I like feisty." A devious smile appeared on her face, which caused Troy to turn his head from the awkwardness of the situation.

Disgusted by this woman's actions, he decided to walk away when an older nurse, probably in her early 40s with brown/grey hair and blue eyes walked up and apologized, "Sorry about our new nurse. How can I help you?"

The redhead walked off into the distance angrily and Troy asked, "Can you please tell me the room Lucille and Jack Bolton are in."

"Are you family?"

He stated, "I'm their son, Troy Bolton."

She nodded and went to pull up their names on the computer. After a few moments that felt like a century to Troy, she informed him, "Jack is in room 20."

Troy waited a few moments to see what room his mom was in, but when the nurse said no more, he realized she was no longer in a room, which meant she was…

"Either she was released, sent out of ICU, or she passed on. I can find out, if you would like." The lady looked at Troy sympathetically and waited for his response. He nodded slowly and sent a look to Gabriella. The look he gave her immediately told her something was wrong. His normally cerulean eyes are grey and his lively and tan face looks pale and full of sorrow. His shoulders are slouched forward and his arms are crossed tight across his chest. She got out of her chair and walked briskly over to Troy. Gabriella linked their hands together, and the warmth from her hand immediately brought some color back to Troy's face.

When Troy looked back to see what the nurse was doing, he saw her on the computer doing something. He couldn't tell from where he was standing. The couple stood there in silence, waiting for Lucille's name to show up on the monitor.

Waiting. Whether you are waiting for someone to find out if your mother is dead or waiting for a new movie to come out, it is all the same length…slow and painful. Those are the exact emotions going through Troy and Gabriella's minds.

Suddenly, the nurse spoke, with a sort of joy in her voice, "Lucille has been moved out of ICU to a basic recovery room…number 31 in the east wing. She is doing well and awake. As for Jack, he is still in a coma and not doing as well. He is not allowed visitors, I am sorry."

After thanking the nurse profusely, Troy and Gabriella walked away, hand in hand off to see Lucille Bolton, not only nervous of what they might see, but of what they might find out.

--

Gabriella took a seat allowing Troy to go in alone, much to his dismay. He wanted her in there with him, but she knew he needed to do this alone. Before opening the door, Troy took one last look at Gabriella. After opening the door, he walked in the room to see his mother with a bandaged arm, but watching Desperate Housewives gloomily. Her brown hair still fell down her shoulders as always, and her petite frame looked extra small in the hospital bed. Her brown eyes were red and puffy, making it clear that she was previously crying. She looked up and noticed that her only son just walked in. She smiled in delight and exclaimed, "My Troy! How are you and where is Gabriella?!"

He smiled, knowing his mother was all right and responded, "She is right outside. I asked her to come, but she wanted to give us some alone time." He walked over to the purple leather chair next to his mom's hospital bed and took a seat. After taking his mother's hand in his, he asked, "How are you? What happened?"

Lucille's smile soon disappeared and she looked down, "Your father and I were shot and robbed. I was the lucky one, with only my arm, but your father was shot twice trying to protect me…once in the chest and once in the stomach. "

A tear fell from Lucille's eyes and Troy restrained himself from letting any emotions show. He has to be strong for his mom, dad, and Gabriella. He has to be strong.

"Who? And do you know what he took?" Troy asked, still trying to hide how much he wanted to break down and cry.

"The person was a, was a, ta-tall man with broad sh-sh-shoulders and a very muscular fi-figure. He, he had brown eyes, b-b-brown hair, and tan-tanned skin," she paused and wiped the tears rapidly falling down her cheeks, "He t-t-took all of your st-stuff…and th-that's all."

**Sorry for the kind of short chapter, but I wanted to cut it off there. Please review and the next one will be out soon!**


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